High school wrestling is heating up in Columbia, Oak Park representing the KC are (ranked 5th in the nation) and Fort Zumwalt West representing the St. Louis area both sent all 14 wrestlers to state.

Oak Park sent 12 of 14 to the qtr finals while ZW sent 8 out of 14.

To add interest to this story it seems the Bland brothers (who’s dad was the wrestling coach at Oak Park) are assistant coaches on the two teams.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13892493.htm

COLUMBIA — Beneath the budding wrestling rivalry between Oak Park and Fort Zumwalt West are two brothers looking to one-up the other.
When Rob Bland, an Oak Park assistant coach, and Derek Bland, a Fort Zumwalt West assistant, compare numbers from Thursday’s Class 4 Round 1 at Mizzou Arena, they’ll see things shaping up just as they did last year.
Oak Park sent 12 of its 14 wrestlers to the quarterfinals, while Fort Zumwalt West kept eight of 14 alive.
The brothers both graduated from Oak Park, where their father, Darrel Bland, was the head wrestling coach during 1978-85. Derek (Class of 1994) won two state titles, and Rob (’96) took home one.
That’s why it’s crucial for Rob that the Northmen keep it up the next two days.
“Last year,” Darrel Bland remembered, “Rob said to Derek, ‘You may have won more individual titles, but we’re going to win more team titles.’ ”
Fort Zumwalt West, near St. Louis, is a young program that has established itself as the eastern part of the state’s best. There is pressure for the Jaguars to get St. Louis back on top of Kansas City.
“Kansas City has kind of dominated,” Fort Zumwalt West coach Dan Hayes said. “We’re anxious to get St. Louis back on top.”
Both schools have great feeder programs, which leads the elder Bland to believe that the Oak Park-Fort Zumwalt West rivalry is just beginning, including the smack talk between his two boys.
“I’ll be surprised if both don’t stay strong for years,” Darrel Bland says. “I’ve never seen two teams in the same class qualify 14 wrestlers. It’s very unusual.”

burt

02-17-2006, 07:27 PM

I know Coach Bland VERY well. He is a very nice and considerate man, I am sure his boys are too. Oak Park's coach, Coach Gary Mayabb, is a GREAT coach, that has built a wrestling empire, from the ground up. When he arrived there, he had very little talent. This year, he has 5, NATIONALLY ranked wrestlers. That is more than the rest of the entire states schools combined. He has people moving to his school just so their kids can have the opportunity to wrestle for him.

It will not be much of a show down. Oak Park will be the force in Missouri wrestling for a long time.

If you have interest in wrestling...also watch Oak Grove. Coach Bob Glaskow has been there for close to 20 years. Oak Grove is having a rough year, but they have placed in state for the last 17 years.

An interesting side note is both of these great coaches are local. Coach Mayabb wrestled and graduated from Central Missouri State, and Coach Glaskow Wrestled for Blue Springs and wrestled and graduated from what was, Southern Missouri State.

Both coaches believe in being role models and building character as much as building a team. I think they are both shining stars in their field, and the rest of the world could learn a lesson from them about passion for what you do.

Not that I know much on the subject!!!

redbrian

02-17-2006, 07:40 PM

I know Coach Bland VERY well. He is a very nice and considerate man, I am sure his boys are too. Oak Park's coach, Coach Gary Mayabb, is a GREAT coach, that has built a wrestling empire, from the ground up. When he arrived there, he had very little talent. This year, he has 5, NATIONALLY ranked wrestlers. That is more than the rest of the entire states schools combined. He has people moving to his school just so their kids can have the opportunity to wrestle for him.

It will not be much of a show down. Oak Park will be the force in Missouri wrestling for a long time.

If you have interest in wrestling...also watch Oak Grove. Coach Bob Glaskow has been there for close to 20 years. Oak Grove is having a rough year, but they have placed in state for the last 17 years.

An interesting side note is both of these great coaches are local. Coach Mayabb wrestled and graduated from Central Missouri State, and Coach Glaskow Wrestled for Blue Springs and wrestled and graduated from what was, Southern Missouri State.

Both coaches believe in being role models and building character as much as building a team. I think they are both shining stars in their field, and the rest of the world could learn a lesson from them about passion for what you do.

Not that I know much on the subject!!!

Yea I’m a bit old school on the wrestling scene, I go back to the Coach Crouthers days at Northtown and then Winnetonka.

Don’t know how long the dynasty is going to last at Oak Park, once the new high school opens you could see the program broken up much like what happened to Northtown when Winnetonka opened.

Oak Grove has kind of taken the thunder away from the Blue Springs program not sure what happened out there with Blue Springs as they used to dominate the area with there feeder program, the Blue Spring coach out there tried to get a friend of mine son to wrestle for his summer program a few years ago, but the lad turned him down.

redbrian

02-17-2006, 07:51 PM

Well I stand corrected just looked at the standings, Oak Grove is not doing that great this year in 6th place in there div., Blue Springs is in 3rd although well behind Oak Park and FZ West.

burt

02-17-2006, 07:55 PM

Old School???!!!!

ME TOO!!!! I missed Coach Crouthers, but in MY day....Winnetonka and Park Hill ruled the sport in KC. Those days are long gone. My Jr. year, Winnetonka was rated number 1 in the city....My Sr. year, we were # 2. I had Coach Gianola....didn't really care much for him, but he ran a pretty good program.

I wrestled for a VERY short time with Gary Mayabb at Central. He and Bob Glaskow are both great guys.

Oh, and Bob Glaskow kicked my arse several times on the mat!!!!

redbrian

02-17-2006, 08:10 PM

Old School???!!!!

ME TOO!!!! I missed Coach Crouthers, but in MY day....Winnetonka and Park Hill ruled the sport in KC. Those days are long gone. My Jr. year, Winnetonka was rated number 1 in the city....My Sr. year, we were # 2. I had Coach Gianola....didn't really care much for him, but he ran a pretty good program.

I wrestled for a VERY short time with Gary Mayabb at Central. He and Bob Glaskow are both great guys.

Oh, and Bob Glaskow kicked my arse several times on the mat!!!!

Let’s not bring up the infamous Park Hill program, Coach Ash was a senior my Soph more year at Northtown.

In fact we stayed at his appt. the first year they held state at the Hernes in Columbia.